Dr Jake Bishop

Email:
j.bishop@reading.ac.uk
Phone:
0044 118 378 6510
Job title:
Lecturer in Crop Science and Production

Responsibilities:

Programme director of MSc by Research in Agriculture, Ecology and Environment (2022-)
Module convenor of part 3 and MSc modules Climate Change and Food Systems (AP3A90 and APMA90); Research Methods in and Research Project in Agriculture, Ecology and Environment (APMA110 and APMA111; 2022-) and lecturer on other modules including Crop Physiology, Nutrition and Protection (AP1A29).
Chair of Committee for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, School of Agriculture, Policy & Development

Areas of interest

My research on plant-environment interactions combines physiology and ecology with the aim of improving agricultural productivity and sustainability in a changing climate. My group uses diverse approaches including experimentation in the field and in controlled environments, mathematical modelling, data-analyses, and data synthesis.

Postgraduate supervision

PhD Students

Stuart Edwards. Pests, plants and parasitoids: how does climate variability affect tri-trophic interactions in apple orchards? Primary supervisor. BBSRC CTP in Fruit Crop Research.
Caitlin McLaughlin. Maximising the environmental benefits of gardens through optimal planting choices and understanding of occupants' engagement. Primary supervisor. BBSRC DTP SCENARIO CASE with Royal Horticultural Society.
Anisa Aubin. An empirical, data driven, model for wheat cultivars and optimisation for future climate scenarios. Co-supervisor. Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board.
Arisede Chisaka. Addressing the challenge of combined heat and drought stress for cereal production. Primary supervisor. BBSRC DTP FoodBioSystems CASE with Syngenta.

PhD Alumni

Dr Richard Gantlett. High biomass rotation and its impacts on soil health, weed burden and crop production (2014-2021, Co-supervisor)
Dr Caroline Harkness. Optimising agriculture for a changing climate: which farming practices confer stability of food production and farm income? (2018-2022, Primary supervisor)

Research projects

Current projects:

Raising the Pulse: systems analysis of the environmental, nutritional and health benefits of pulse-enhanced foods. I am responsible for work on understanding sources of yield variability in faba bean and benefits of faba bean for pollinating insects. UKRI Transforming Food Systems (2022-2025, Co-I)
Future farms: redesigning crop landscapes. I am providing expertise in crop-climate interactions. The project aims to improve advice for farmers about climate change risks and environmental impacts of crop production. STFC Food Network+ (2022-2023, Co-I)

Recent projects:

Simfarm2030: optimising wheat cultivar selection in a changing climate. I provided expertise on crop-climate interactions in a project that developed a model for existing and new UK wheat cultivars in response to current and future climate conditions. STFC Food Network+ (2019, PI)
Developing a network to improve productivity and nutritional value of Kenyan grain amaranth. I provided crop science expertise in a project that collected preliminary data on genetic and environmental factors affecting grain amaranth production and nutritional value. Funded by GCRF (2018-2019, Co-I)

Professional bodies/affiliations

Professional activities:

Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
Early Career Champion for Association of Applied Biologists and member of specialist group for Cropping and the Environment